Editor Michael D. Coogan’s World Religions is a
comprehensive body of work. It focuses
on: 1) origins and historical developments; 2) aspects of the Divine; 3) sacred
texts; 4) sacred persons; 5) ethical principles; 6) sacred space; 7) sacred
time; 8) death and the afterlife; and 9) society and religion.
Coogan examined the wealth of each tradition. In the case of Christianity he looked at its
beginnings, two millennia of faith, and the Christian canon. In Islam he explored the age of empires,
approaches to God, and the word of God.
While with Hinduism there was an examination of five millennia of traditional
beliefs, gods and goddesses, and words of devotion. Neither did Coogan exclude the Buddhist,
Chinese, and Japanese traditions.
The author wrote that one way that the Divine was
manifested to humans was through inspired scripture and other writings. He described how every literate community has
produced collections of texts composed, assembled, and edited over the
centuries. Each of these religions
recognized their founders, saints, holy men and women, and martyrs, who were
essential to the tradition. And
enshrined in the sacred texts are embodied ethical principles concerning how
these individuals lived, and what they taught their followers. Each religious tradition also recognized
special times of the year for private and communal acts of religious
observance.
Major forms of a tradition’s belief system are
focused on religious practices and beliefs concerning the cycle of life —
birth, maturity, work, marriage, suffering, and death. These affairs in one’s lives are celebrated
by unique rituals in every faith.
Religion has therefore been a catalyst in shaping and molding its
adherents to have values, and live lives in their respective societies.
No comments:
Post a Comment